The dance calendar
103 days and festivals of the year that have dancing of their own, with what is danced on each. Dates are worked out afresh every day.
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October 2026
On now, 19 Sept to 4 Oct 2026OktoberfestAt the Munich festival, costume clubs parade and men slap thigh and shoe in the Schuhplattler.
On now, 3 to 4 Oct 2026Simchat TorahJews finish the yearly reading of the Torah and dance with the scrolls seven times round the synagogue.
10 to 18 Oct 2026BathukammaThe women of Telangana build towers of flowers and circle them each evening, singing and clapping.
11 to 19 Oct 2026NavratriNine nights for the goddess, danced in Gujarat with garba in rings and dandiya with sticks.
11 to 20 Oct 2026Mysore DasaraThe state festival of Karnataka, whose great procession brings out drum dancers from across the state.
16 to 21 Oct 2026Durga PujaBengal welcomes the goddess Durga, and worshippers dance before her with bowls of burning incense.
20 to 26 Oct 2026DussehraThe victory of Rama over Ravana, acted in Ramlila, and a week of nati dancing at Kullu.November 2026
1 to 2 Nov 2026Day of the DeadMexico welcomes its dead with altars and marigolds, and in Michoacán the little old men dance.
8 to 9 Nov 2026Diwali and TiharOn the nights of lamps, Nepali groups sing and dance from house to house, and herders dance in Chhattisgarh.
10 Nov 2026Día de la TradiciónArgentina honours the gaucho on the birthday of José Hernández, with folk dance and horsemanship.
16 Nov 2026International Flamenco DayThe day in 2010 when UNESCO listed flamenco, kept with song, guitar and dance across Andalusia.
21 to 30 Nov 2026Sangai FestivalManipur shows its dances and martial arts for ten days, named for its rare brow-antlered deer.
24 Nov 2026Raas PurnimaOn the full moon of Kartik, Manipur and Assam dance Krishna's circle dance with the gopis.December 2026
1 to 10 Dec 2026Hornbill FestivalThe Naga tribes gather near Kohima for ten days, each with its own songs, dances and dress.
1 to 5 Dec 2026Konark Dance FestivalFive evenings of classical dance in an open theatre, with the Sun Temple of Konark behind the stage.
2 Dec 2026National Samba DayBrazil honours samba on 2 December, with circles of players and dancers in Rio and Salvador.
7 to 17 Dec 2026Şeb-i ArusIn Konya, the Mevlevi turn in the sema to mark the night the poet Rumi died, his wedding night with God.
11 Dec 2026World Tango DayTango dancers mark the shared birthday of the singer Carlos Gardel and the bandleader Julio de Caro.
12 Dec 2026Feast of Our Lady of GuadalupePilgrims dance before the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City as an offering to the Virgin.
15 Dec to 15 Jan 2027Chennai Margazhi SeasonFor a month from mid December, the halls of Chennai are full of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam.
25 to 30 Dec 2026Feria de CaliThe Colombian city of Cali opens its fair on Christmas Day with a parade of a thousand salsa dancers.
26 Dec 2026JunkanooBefore dawn on Boxing Day, and again at New Year, costumed groups rush down the streets of Nassau.
31 Dec to 1 Jan 2027HogmanayScotland sees the old year out with a ceilidh, reels until midnight, and hands joined for Auld Lang Syne.
31 Dec 2026New Year's EveAt midnight Austrians waltz into the new year to The Blue Danube, in ballrooms, squares and kitchens.January 2027
13 Jan 2027LohriPunjab lights a bonfire for midwinter, and men dance bhangra and women giddha around it.
13 to 23 Jan 2027GalunganBalinese Hindus welcome their ancestors home, and the Barong dances from door to door.
15 to 18 Jan 2027PongalThe Tamil harvest festival, with kummi and kolattam danced by women and village folk dances in the street.
17 Jan 2027Sinulog and Ati-AtihanFilipinos dance through the streets of Cebu and Kalibo in honour of the Santo Niño, the Holy Child.
18 to 20 Jan 2027TimkatEthiopian Orthodox Christians keep the baptism of Christ with priestly dance and the shoulder dance eskista.
22 Jan 2027ThaipusamTamil devotees of Murugan carry the kavadi on their shoulders and dance it to the temple.
25 Jan 2027Burns NightScots mark the birthday of the poet Robert Burns with a supper, and often a ceilidh after it.February 2027
2 to 11 Feb 2027Fiesta de la Candelaria, PunoTens of thousands of dancers fill Puno, on Lake Titicaca, in honour of the Virgin of Candelaria.
4 Feb 2027Vienna Opera BallThe height of the Vienna ball season: debutantes open with a polonaise, then everyone waltzes.
5 to 9 Feb 2027Carnival in BrazilSamba schools parade in Rio, frevo dancers leap in Recife, and Salvador dances behind sound trucks.
6 Feb 2027Waitangi DayNew Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, with haka and kapa haka on the treaty grounds.
6 to 12 Feb 2027Chinese New YearLion and dragon dances go from door to door to drums and firecrackers, to bring luck for the year.
6 to 9 Feb 2027Carnival of BarranquillaColombia's Caribbean coast dances cumbia, mapalé and dozens of other folk dances for four days.
6 to 7 Feb 2027Carnival of OruroDancers in devil masks process for hours through a Bolivian mining town, for the Virgin of the Mineshaft.
7 to 9 Feb 2027LosarTibetan New Year: monks dance the masked cham to clear away the old year, and families dance in circles.
8 to 9 Feb 2027Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalTwo days of masquerade bands dancing through Port of Spain to soca and steelpan.
9 Feb 2027Mardi Gras in New OrleansNew Orleans dances in the street behind brass bands, and in ballrooms at the carnival balls.
20 Feb 2027Lantern FestivalThe first full moon of the Chinese year, with yangge troupes, dragons and lions under the lanterns.
20 to 26 Feb 2027Khajuraho Dance FestivalA week of India's classical dances, performed in the open air before the temples of Khajuraho.
22 to 27 Feb 2027Te MatatiniThe national kapa haka festival, where the best Māori performing groups compete every two years.
4 Feb 2027Vienna Opera BallThe height of the Vienna ball season: debutantes open with a polonaise, then everyone waltzes.
5 to 9 Feb 2027Carnival in BrazilSamba schools parade in Rio, frevo dancers leap in Recife, and Salvador dances behind sound trucks.
6 Feb 2027Waitangi DayNew Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, with haka and kapa haka on the treaty grounds.
6 to 12 Feb 2027Chinese New YearLion and dragon dances go from door to door to drums and firecrackers, to bring luck for the year.
6 to 9 Feb 2027Carnival of BarranquillaColombia's Caribbean coast dances cumbia, mapalé and dozens of other folk dances for four days.
6 to 7 Feb 2027Carnival of OruroDancers in devil masks process for hours through a Bolivian mining town, for the Virgin of the Mineshaft.
7 to 9 Feb 2027LosarTibetan New Year: monks dance the masked cham to clear away the old year, and families dance in circles.
8 to 9 Feb 2027Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalTwo days of masquerade bands dancing through Port of Spain to soca and steelpan.
9 Feb 2027Mardi Gras in New OrleansNew Orleans dances in the street behind brass bands, and in ballrooms at the carnival balls.
20 Feb 2027Lantern FestivalThe first full moon of the Chinese year, with yangge troupes, dragons and lions under the lanterns.
20 to 26 Feb 2027Khajuraho Dance FestivalA week of India's classical dances, performed in the open air before the temples of Khajuraho.
22 to 27 Feb 2027Te MatatiniThe national kapa haka festival, where the best Māori performing groups compete every two years.March 2027
5 Mar 2027Chapchar KutThe spring festival of Mizoram, known for cheraw, danced between clapping bamboo poles.
6 to 10 Mar 2027Maha Shivaratri and NatyanjaliOn the great night of Shiva, dancers offer their art to Nataraja, lord of the dance, at Chidambaram.
8 to 14 Mar 2027MaslenitsaThe week before Orthodox Lent, with ring dances in the snow and a straw figure of winter burned.
9 to 11 Mar 2027Eid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, marked in Arabia with the sword dance ardah and in the Levant with dabke.
17 Mar 2027St Patrick's DayThe feast of the patron saint of Ireland, with step dancers in the parades and ceilis at night.
18 to 22 Mar 2027Paro TsechuFive days of sacred masked dances by monks and laymen at the fortress of Paro in Bhutan.
21 Mar to 2 Apr 2027NowruzThe new year at the spring equinox, danced in great lines by Kurds and with the attan by Afghans.
22 Mar 2027HoliThe festival of colour, danced with Krishna's raslila in Braj and the gair of Rajasthan.
28 Mar to 3 Apr 2027Merrie Monarch FestivalThe foremost hula competition, held in Hilo, Hawaii, in the week that begins on Easter Sunday.
6 to 10 Mar 2027Maha Shivaratri and NatyanjaliOn the great night of Shiva, dancers offer their art to Nataraja, lord of the dance, at Chidambaram.
8 to 14 Mar 2027MaslenitsaThe week before Orthodox Lent, with ring dances in the snow and a straw figure of winter burned.
9 to 11 Mar 2027Eid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, marked in Arabia with the sword dance ardah and in the Levant with dabke.
17 Mar 2027St Patrick's DayThe feast of the patron saint of Ireland, with step dancers in the parades and ceilis at night.
18 to 22 Mar 2027Paro TsechuFive days of sacred masked dances by monks and laymen at the fortress of Paro in Bhutan.
21 Mar to 2 Apr 2027NowruzThe new year at the spring equinox, danced in great lines by Kurds and with the attan by Afghans.
22 Mar 2027HoliThe festival of colour, danced with Krishna's raslila in Braj and the gair of Rajasthan.
28 Mar to 3 Apr 2027Merrie Monarch FestivalThe foremost hula competition, held in Hilo, Hawaii, in the week that begins on Easter Sunday.April 2027
11 to 17 Apr 2027Feria de AbrilThe spring fair of Seville, a week of sevillanas danced day and night in rows of striped tents.
11 to 13 Apr 2027Chaitra ParvaThe spring festival of Seraikela, Mayurbhanj and Purulia, where Chhau is danced through the night.
13 to 15 Apr 2027SongkranThe Thai new year of water, with the slow circle dance ramwong danced at temple fairs.
13 to 16 Apr 2027ThingyanThe water festival of Myanmar, with troupes dancing in unison on roadside stages.
14 Apr 2027VaisakhiThe wheat harvest of Punjab and the birth of the Khalsa, kept with processions, fairs and bhangra.
14 to 20 Apr 2027Rongali BihuThe Assamese new year, when young people dance Bihu to the drum, the buffalo horn and the bamboo clapper.
29 Apr 2027International Dance DayA day for every kind of dance, kept by dancers and schools around the world since 1982.May 2027
1 May 2027May DayMorris sides dance at sunrise and children plait ribbons round the maypole to welcome summer.
2 to 3 May 2027Greek EasterAfter the midnight service and the roast lamb, Greek villages dance in open circles all afternoon.
5 May 2027Cinco de MayoThe anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, kept by Mexican Americans with folk dance in the street.
6 May 2027Hıdırellez and EderleziThe spring day of Turkey and the Balkans, kept by Roma communities with fires, music and dance.
25 May 2027Lag BaOmerA day of bonfires in the Jewish spring, when crowds dance in circles at Meron and around the fires.
25 May 2027National Tap Dance DayThe birthday of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, kept by tap dancers in the United States and beyond.
26 May 2027World Lindy Hop DaySwing dancers everywhere mark the birthday of Frankie Manning, the great dancer of the Savoy Ballroom.
27 to 30 May 2027Corpus ChristiDevils dance before the church in Venezuela, and fire-breathing figures dance in the square of Berga.
30 May to 2 Jun 2027Kaamatan and Gawai DayakThe rice harvest festivals of Borneo, with the sumazau of Sabah and the ngajat of Sarawak.June 2027
1 Jun 2027Samoa Independence DaySamoa keeps its independence with a march past and the dances of its villages and schools.
9 Jun 2027DanoThe Korean fifth day of the fifth month, kept with mask dance dramas and farmers’ drumming.
13 to 29 Jun 2027Festa JuninaThe June feasts of Brazil, with country-style quadrilha danced round a bonfire, and forró all night.
19 Jun to 17 Jul 2027Bali Arts FestivalA month of Balinese dance and music in Denpasar, with villages from the whole island taking part.
20 to 21 Jun 2027Rusalii and the CălușAt Orthodox Pentecost, sworn bands of men in southern Romania dance the leaping căluș from yard to yard.
21 Jun 2027National Indigenous Peoples DayCanada honours First Nations, Inuit and Métis on the summer solstice, with powwows and jigging.
24 Jun 2027Inti RaymiThe Andean festival of the sun at the June solstice, danced in Cusco and in the squares of Ecuador.
25 to 26 Jun 2027Midsummer in SwedenSwedes raise a leafy pole on Midsummer Eve and dance round it, hopping like small frogs.
9 Jun 2027DanoThe Korean fifth day of the fifth month, kept with mask dance dramas and farmers’ drumming.
13 to 29 Jun 2027Festa JuninaThe June feasts of Brazil, with country-style quadrilha danced round a bonfire, and forró all night.
19 Jun to 17 Jul 2027Bali Arts FestivalA month of Balinese dance and music in Denpasar, with villages from the whole island taking part.
20 to 21 Jun 2027Rusalii and the CălușAt Orthodox Pentecost, sworn bands of men in southern Romania dance the leaping căluș from yard to yard.
21 Jun 2027National Indigenous Peoples DayCanada honours First Nations, Inuit and Métis on the summer solstice, with powwows and jigging.
24 Jun 2027Inti RaymiThe Andean festival of the sun at the June solstice, danced in Cusco and in the squares of Ecuador.
25 to 26 Jun 2027Midsummer in SwedenSwedes raise a leafy pole on Midsummer Eve and dance round it, hopping like small frogs.July 2027
1 to 20 Jul 2027Heiva i TahitiThe great dance and song contest of French Polynesia, held in Papeete through early July.
4 to 11 Jul 2027NAIDOC WeekA week to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with dance at gatherings across Australia.
13 to 14 Jul 2027Bastille DayOn the eve of France's national day, fire stations open their yards for all-night public dances.
19 to 26 Jul 2027GuelaguetzaThe regions of Oaxaca bring their dances to the hill above the city on two Mondays in July.
28 to 29 Jul 2027ÓlavsøkaThe national holiday of the Faroe Islands, which ends with a chain dance sung through the night.
13 to 14 Jul 2027Bastille DayOn the eve of France's national day, fire stations open their yards for all-night public dances.
19 to 26 Jul 2027GuelaguetzaThe regions of Oaxaca bring their dances to the hill above the city on two Mondays in July.
28 to 29 Jul 2027ÓlavsøkaThe national holiday of the Faroe Islands, which ends with a chain dance sung through the night.August 2027
1 to 6 Aug 2027Emancipation and Independence, JamaicaJamaica marks freedom on 1 August and independence on 6 August, with its traditional dances on show.
2 Aug 2027Crop OverBarbados ends the sugar harvest with Grand Kadooment, a day of costumed bands dancing to the sea.
4 Aug 2027TeejWomen welcome the monsoon with swings, songs and dance: ghoomar in Rajasthan and giddha in Punjab.
12 to 15 Aug 2027Awa OdoriThe city of Tokushima dances through its streets for four nights, in the largest dance festival of Japan.
13 to 16 Aug 2027ObonJapan welcomes the spirits of its ancestors, and whole towns dance bon odori round a wooden tower.
15 Aug 2027Dormition of the Mother of GodOn 15 August every Greek village holds its panigiri, a feast with music and dancing until dawn.
25 Aug 2027JanmashtamiThe birth of Krishna at midnight, kept with raslila dance-dramas and ras in a circle.
28 Aug 2027Cowal Highland GatheringHighland dancers from many countries compete at Dunoon in Scotland for the world championship.
28 Aug 2027KulambaThe Chewa of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique gather before their king, and the masked Nyau dance.
29 to 30 Aug 2027Notting Hill CarnivalLondon's Caribbean carnival, two days of masquerade bands, steel bands and sound systems.September 2027
4 to 13 Sept 2027Ganesh ChaturthiGanesha is brought home with drums and taken to the water with lezim, danced all along the road.
6 Sept 2027Umhlanga Reed DanceTens of thousands of young women of Eswatini bring reeds to the Queen Mother and dance before her.
6 Sept 2027Abbots Bromley Horn DanceSix men carrying ancient reindeer antlers dance round a Staffordshire parish from dawn to dusk.
12 to 15 Sept 2027OnamKerala welcomes King Mahabali home: women dance in a ring round a lamp, and men prowl as painted tigers.
15 to 16 Sept 2027Mexican Independence DayAfter the cry of independence on the night of 15 September, Mexico dances its regional dances.
15 Sept 2027ChuseokAt the Korean harvest moon, women join hands and circle under it, singing ganggangsullae.
15 Sept 2027Mid-Autumn FestivalA dragon of burning incense dances through Hong Kong, and lions dance for children in Vietnam.
18 to 19 Sept 2027Fiestas Patrias, ChileChile keeps its national days in open-air fairs, where couples dance the cueca with a handkerchief.
20 to 26 Sept 2027GerewolAt the end of the rains, young Wodaabe men paint their faces and dance in a line to be chosen.
24 Sept 2027La MercèBarcelona honours its patron with sardanas in the square, dancing giants and stick dancers.
24 Sept 2027Heritage DaySouth Africans wear traditional dress and show the dances of their many peoples.Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Abbots Bromley Horn Dance: Caeciliusinhorto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Awa Dance Festival: Rosino, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Junkanoo: WikiPedant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source
- Manipuri dance: https://www.flickr.com/photos/matsukin/, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tango: carlos luque, CC BY 2.5, source
- Chhau: Skasish, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Flamenco: John Singer Sargent, Public domain, source
- Umhlanga: Amada44, Public domain, source
- Bon Odori: Batholith, Public domain, source
- Margazhi Season: Martin spaink, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cham And Tshechu: Stephen Shephard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lohri: Karen Sandhu, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pongal: Saral Shots, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Santo Nino Festivals: Herbert Kikoy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Timkat: Jean Rebiffé, CC BY 4.0, source
- Thaipusam: hams Nocete, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Burns Night: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Waitangi Day: Ryan762 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Te Matatini: Schwede66, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chinese New Year: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lantern Festival: -Zest, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Losar: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Khajuraho Dance Festival: Shinjinikulkarni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vienna Opera Ball: infraredhorsebite, CC BY 2.0, source
- Carnival Brazil: Alan Betensley ( Abetens at en.wikipedia ), Public domain, source
- Trinidad Carnival: Jean-Marc /Jo BeLo/Jhon-John, CC BY 2.0, source
- Barranquilla Carnival: el heraldo, Public domain, source
- Oruro Carnival: Pame82s, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mardi Gras New Orleans: Flickr user radiate2357, CC BY 2.0, source
- Maslenitsa: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Maha Shivaratri: Arunankapilan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Holi: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Eid Al Fitr: Mohammed Tawsif Salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Merrie Monarch Festival: This file was created by Thomas Tunsch . It is not in the public domai, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Greek Easter: Piero della Francesca, Public domain, source
- Feria De Abril: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Songkran: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, CC BY 3.0, source
- Thingyan: Pagan era painter(s), Public domain, source
- Vaisakhi: Michael Clark, CC BY 2.0, source
- Rongali Bihu: Diganta Talukdar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- International Dance Day: jeff, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hidirellez: Правительство Республики Крым, CC BY 4.0, source
- Lag Baomer: Yoninah, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
- Kaamatan And Gawai: Zahirulnukman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dano: Shin Yunbok or Hyewon , his pen name (1758- early 19c), Public domain, source
- Festa Junina: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bali Arts Festival: John Y. Can, CC BY 2.0, source
- National Indigenous Peoples Day: University of the Fraser Valley, CC BY 2.0, source
- Midsummer Sweden: Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Inti Raymi: Cyntia Motta, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Galungan: Davidelit, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bastille Day: Chief Petty Officer Michael McNabb, Public domain, source
- Guelaguetza: A01321718, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jamaica Emancipation Independence: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hariyali Teej: Ganesh Paudel at ne.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dormition Greece: El Greco, Public domain, source
- Janmashtami: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cowal Highland Gathering: Dudesleeper, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Notting Hill Carnival: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, source
- Onam: Jiteshgt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ganesh Chaturthi: Original uploader was MatthieuMoy at fr.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, source
- Mexican Independence Day: Paigemorrison at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Fiestas Patrias Chile: Osmar Valdebenito, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Oktoberfest: Heribert Pohl, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- La Merce: larry&flo, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Heritage Day South Africa: CoralBrowne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chuseok: by Joseph Steinberg (Baltimoron in Korea) at Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mid Autumn Festival: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Simchat Torah: No machine-readable author provided. Merlin assumed (based on copyrigh, CC BY 2.5, source
- Bathukamma: Randhirreddy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Navratri: Mukerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mysore Dasara: Kalyan Kumar, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Durga Puja: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dussehra: DiplomatTesterMan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Day Of The Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Diwali And Tihar: Sreekumar K. S., CC BY 2.0, source
- Sangai Festival: Psushant577, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hornbill Festival: Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Samba Day: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Our Lady Of Guadalupe: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Feria De Cali: Jyon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hogmanay: Robbie Shade, CC BY 2.0, source
- New Years Eve: Andreas Weith, CC BY-SA 4.0, source